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Wasted? Or, Replenished to Bear Fruit?
Friday's Faith
Ezekiel 36:24-28
… I’ll give you a new heart, put a new spirit in you. I’ll remove the stone heart from your body and replace it with a heart that’s God-willed, not self-willed. I’ll put My Spirit in you and make it possible for you to do what I tell you and live by My commands.
Replace a stone heart with a God-willed heart,
E’er sensitive to Your Spirit in me.
I cannot do Your will, from You apart,
But can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me.
My heart is broken; my spirit is sad.
Pour Your balm in my heart; let it seep through
Until my heart is healed, my spirit glad,
While my body, soul, spirit rest in You.
May I not march off in my strength alone,
Carrying burdens that aren’t mine to bear.
As I needed Christ, my sins to atone,
So I need the Vine, my heart to repair.
Since Jesus loves me the way You’ve loved Him,
Nurtures me in Love like a plant in soil,
Love flows through me like nutrients through th’ stem,
Reproducing Life from Love-fertile soil.
I didn’t choose You—You chose me t’ bear fruit—
I must abide in You, Love-enriched Root!
Rooted in Love produces Love’s off-shoot:
Eternal souls, Satan cannot uproot!
You designed me to bear fruit that won’t spoil;
I must feed on You, allow You to lead . . .
Your Spirit gives me strength Satan can’t foil—
I will go where You guide—with Godspeed!
Thou art the Vine; I am the branch; flow through
Me to touch other souls thirsty for You!
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.This is my command: Love each other.
~John 15:1-17 NIV
I've shared this with you before, and I'd like to share it again as it is a wonderful reminder of the challenges ahead of us to trust our loving Lord amidst our abject helplessness...
A grieving mother, Sharon Throop related the following:
We lost our only daughter, Wendy, (14) years ago (11/12/96). I was just sent a prose, that sums up so much for so many who walk this road. You may have read it before, but if not, send it on to some of your friends and realize that it sums up the loss of our children.
"Feel incomplete? Life in suspense? Can you accept the anxiety of not being in control, while trusting in the 'slow work of God, our loving Vine-dresser'?
"Can you 'give our Lord the benefit of believing that His hand is leading you, and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself in suspense and incomplete'?"
Pictures - Thanks to FotoSearch.com
Poem - Wasted? Or, Replenished to Bear Fruit? - Angie Bennett Prince - 6/2/2009
Scriptures in New International Version
Quote, thanks to Sharon Throop - who can be found on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=523232095
